Anyone who's spent time with Stuart Dew knows how highly the Gold Coast AFL coach rates Travis Head.
So there was some tension in the Suns office on the day Australia's in-form batsman was dropped for the first Test against India.
"Mate. Never mess with form players," Dew told AAP this week, after Head's recall for the second Test.
"You can read into it too much and over analyse, rather than just playing the game.
"I was just like, 'What are they doing?."
It's a philosophy the coach will adopt this season, one Gold Coast hope will be their best yet.
Boasting fresh depth in all lines, Dew has new problems in 2023 after surviving the churn and burn of the AFL to win a new two-year contract.
"If you've got a player in form, you pick them, simple as that and Head's a good example, he said.
"Absolutely we will have some unlucky guys but when it comes to selection, they almost select themselves.
"It's obvious who should be playing, but it's a good problem to have and internal pressure (created by competition for spots) is always best."
The Suns' 10-12 year saw them in the finals hunt until the bitter end despite injured key forward Ben King's season-long absence.
It means talk of making the top eight for the first time in their 12th season is no longer fanciful at their Carrara base, now known as Heritage Bank Stadium.
"We're deliberate about building a premiership list, not a team that can maybe make finals and get spat out," Dew said.
"Everyone stepped up when the club was under pressure last season and with two games to go we were still in the finals mix - now it all starts again."
Dew is proud of how he took care of business while his own future was the subject of fierce speculation, but doesn't think that the heat's now off.
"You feel you're on the tightrope anyway cause as we have learnt, contracts don't mean much either," he said.
"That's why the focus can't be anywhere near that."
But it's clear his players wanted him to remain at the helm as they attempt to make history.
"I love playing under Dewy and I know all the boys do," midfielder Matt Rowell told AAP.
"We're so happy that he's our coach; he believes in us and we really backed him in.
"We've earnt that respect, players aren't leaving anymore and every time I run out now I know we've got a great shot at winning the game.
"That's a great feeling running out, looking around at the players we have."
